Child
Safety
With the increasing
number of child abduction reports publicized recently via the media,
safety of children is a growing concern for families. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation actually shows that the number of stranger
abductions has declined over the past two years. However, most abductors
are relatives of the person abducted (AP, July 2002).
Supervision
is the best first-line defense for our children; but we can't always
be with them especially as they get older. Education about safety
and awareness should be an ongoing process.
Education
- Teach your
kids not to talk to strangers. Teach your child to be suspicious
if someone stops in their car to ask directions or ask for help
locating a missing pet or child; adults looking for such information
generally look for another adult. Teach your children not to go
near someone and to get an adult, or to call 911 if they are concerned
about someone.
- Teach your
child to trust his or her instincts - if a situation does not
seem right, she or he should immediately seek the help of a trusted
adult.
- Teach your
child to only travel well-lit and well-traveled routes, and to
travel with a buddy. Teach them how to get other peoples' attention
if they are approached by someone.
- Teach your
children skills on how to get away from someone who stops them.
Try to enroll your children in self defense workshops geared for
their age. See information below about one such approach, the
RADKids program.
- Teach your
child never to release his or her information on the Internet.
The Internet can make someone appear to be anyone they want to
be. Children are particularly vulnerable to adults lurking in
sites and chat rooms geared toward children and teens, and may
make your child believe they are a similar person; they can be
quite convincing. Teach your child never to give her/his address,
phone number or real name, or information about his/her school,
neighborhood or family. If the person invites them to meet them,
they should notify you immediately so you can alert authorities.
Tips for
Parents
- Have your
children fingerprinted and photographed in a child safety program.
If your child is ever abducted, which hopefully will never happen,
a photograph will be available as an aide to finding your child,
and prints can help investigators in the case.
- Talk to your
kids - use age-appropriate messages and teach your child to think
smartly. Review situations with him or her and how s/he might
react. Include scenarios about becoming lost in a store or mall,
having a stranger approach him/her looking for help or directions,
what to do if they are alone with someone they know and they begin
to feel unsafe.
- Pay attention
to your child's activities and know where they are at all times.
- Remind your
children daily how much you love them and let them know they can
talk to you about anything. Encourage open communication in general
and they will be more likely to share information with you about
a situation that may feel unsafe.
- Make sure
your child knows where they can go and who they can be with.
- Make sure
your child knows his/her full name, address and phone number,
and make sure s/he has another trusted adult s/he can contact
if you can not be reached if s/he is nervous about a situation
or has an emergency.
- If you are
not home when your child(ren) get home from school, enroll them
in group activities such as sports, school-based programs, etc.,
or utilize an age-appropriate trusted caregiver to spend that
time with them. Be sure to check out the activity first - be sure
all employees or volunteers working with your child(ren) are screened
for prior criminal involvement. Camps are required to run criminal
background checks.
RADKids
Program: this version of the Rape Aggression Defense system
so popular in helping women protect themselves is designed for the
youth audience.
ONLINE RESOURCES
National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children has many resources
on how to protect your children including a guide for parents on
personal safety for children.
The federal
government's Project Safe Neighborhoods
has information about protecting your children from many crimes
including abduction, bullying, etc.
The National
Crime Prevention Council's famous McGruff character provides
information geared toward children on personal safety.
Childrens'
Safety Information from Klaas Kids Foundation
(an organization founded after the kidnapping and death of Polly
Hannah Klaas and dedicated to helping prevent the crimes against
children.
Child
Safety Information from MollyBish.org, another foundation formed
after a teenager was abducted from her summer job as a lifeguard
at a Massachusetts pond only minutes after her mother dropped her
off. Her body was found two years later, in the summer of 2003.
AMBER
Alert: this system, adopted in several states, utilizes local
media and highway electronic signs to alert community members of
the disappearance of a child. It was recently credited for finding
two teenage girls a week after its inception in California.
San
Jose State University Police Department Children's Safety site:
has activities and safety instruction for children.
Los Angeles
Police have a great list of resources for helping children be safe.
Check out their listing on their crime prevention page at http://www.lapdonline.org/.
Ready
Kids: A website for children to be prepared for every situation.
|
